VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Lawndale Art Center presents The Big Show.

The Big Show is Lawndale Art Center's annual open-call, juried exhibition. It has been an important venue through which emerging and under-represented Houston area artists gain exposure since the show's conception in 1984. The Big Show was formerly the East End Show, sponsored by the East End Progress Association, at Lawndale's original location.

Each year Lawndale Art Center invites a guest juror to select from work submitted by artists living within 100 miles of Houston. Artists are invited to bring up to three works of art, not previously shown in Houston, to Lawndale Art Center where the work is juried on-site for a chance to be included in the show and a shot at one of three cash prizes.

2012 Juror:
Marco Antonini, Gallery Director
NURTUREart
Brooklyn, NY

Marco Antonini is Gallery Director at NURTUREart, a Brooklyn based nonprofit organization that provides exhibition opportunities and resources for emerging artists, curators, and public school students. While supervising NURTUREart’s exhibitions, special events and publications, Antonini personally curated WE ARE:, an experimental series that showcased week-long projects by invited artists, curators and organizations for the entire Summer 2011. He is currently at work on another special program: …Is This Free?, an investigation of the history, development and current status of “Free” art; this sprawling group exhibition will include artworks, ephemera and publications dating back to the late sixties, presented side by side with contemporary artworks, many of which commissioned by NURTUREart.

Alongside his work at NURTUREart, Antonini has remained active as an independent curator and writer. His exhibitions have been produced by Japan Society, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), ISE Foundation, Elizabeth Foundation, The Italian Cultural Center in New York, Bevilacqua La Masa Foundation, the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP), Centro Cultural de Espana in Guatemala (CCE/G) and FUTURA Center for Contemporary Art. His reviews and interviews have appeared on Cura, ArtPulse, Flash Art, Whitehot Magazine, BMM, Drome, Contemporary, AroundPhotography and NYArts Magazine. His essays have been published on Cura, Occulto, PulseBerlin, Arte&Critica, BMM, as well as on many exhibition catalogs and exhibition-related publications.

In conjunction with The Big Show, Lawndale presents The Big Slide Show Wednesday & Thursday, August 1 & 2, 2012 at 6 PM.

Join Lawndale and Houston's talented Big Show artists for short, informal presentations about their work. Presentations start at 6 PM each night at Lawndale Art Center. Come early as seating is limited.